


Outside the Dark City

by ashlel744



Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: DnD classes, DnD races, F/F, F/M, Harmonious Valley, M/M, Redmont, Salisan, Strict regulations, The campaign to complicated to be played, We love space in this household
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-08-29 15:56:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16747018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashlel744/pseuds/ashlel744
Summary: At the mouth of Harmonious Valley, was once one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the world named Redmont. With dull tones and colorful lights, it was seen as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Things changed for the worse with the assassination of Lord Leon Milane and the city was thrown into chaos. A new leader was appointed quickly enough, but the city began to quiet down. Bright multicolored lights set off by magic users faded to an amber yellow as they left to the mountains because of the new laws put in place. Some races, those known for their links to all things arcane, left as well, leaving the city without much diversity and a new found bitterness for foreign travelers. However, there is still some spellcasters left in the city despite the oppression. The Olki name stayed strong in Redmont even with the backlash they were put through.  Vèti Olki, the adoptive son of Francis Olki, is the last stay on the manor. Nothing had pushed him to leave the only home he’s ever known but as a tattered letter with his father’s signature falls into his hands, the choice to leave or stay put is more than apparent.





	1. Letter

**Author's Note:**

> This was for NANOWRIMO this year but I gave up because I got stressed out. Some of my friends started to like so I decided to throw it out there.
> 
> Enjoy!

Vèti sang quietly to himself, his melodic voice moving through the house as his tufted tail swaying behind him. He was practically dancing as he swept the room swiftly, nearly stubbing his toes on any surface possible. He favored these days in the old manor, busying himself with housework instead of using his magic to get it done quickly. The house no longer held maids or butlers so he was completely alone in his space. 

Vèti smiled to himself as he moved into the family library, setting aside his broom at the entrance. Large bookcases border the walls of the vast study to his left and right with large windows that stretched to the rounded glass roof towards the center of the room. The rounded room overlooked the darkened city, yellow lights from prominent buildings showing through the light rain. At night the room served as an observatory where most of the stars could be seen even with the city lights. The tall towers spotted around the city could also be seen from the vantage point and the hooded lanterns around them were slowly being lit as he stood there. Vèti sighed at the sight of it, knowing that if he didn't show for the evening prayer he would be reprimanded again for his "forgetfulness."

He pushed back a smile, fangs barely clipping his lips as a wave of nostalgia washed over him. His father’s desk marked the middle of the chamber, right in front of the towering windows. Tracing his fingers along the backside of the evergreen upholstered chair, he sat down it slowly. Vèti ran his hand on the armrests, turning the chair so it faced the windows. He sat in silence for a moment before speaking to the air. "Why did they blame her father? She has no part in this."

He underestimated the stillness before he spoke, but now a tension filled the air and the only thing that he could hear was the crackling fire from the other room. Vèti began to sink into his seat with a sigh as he watched the rest of the torches on the tower light before the large church bell at the height of the town began to ring. 

With a heavy sigh, Vèti stood up from his chair rubbing his face as he made his way out of the library. He stopped to turn back and stare at the desk for a moment solemnly before walking back out into the living room to find his cloak.  
~

Essentially running through the streets of Uptown Redmont, Vèti tried to get to mass before he would be chastised again. Pulling the black hood over his head, he rounded the corner to see the population of the Uptown around the tower, heads lowered in prayer. Looking around he was one of the last to arrive and being taller than average, his sudden appearance would obvious.

Taking in a deep breath, he moved through the crowd towards the front, giving soft apologies to the followers as he went. He stopped when he reached another tall figure, a little shorter than him actually, standing next to them as he bowed his head. 

The figure looked up at him, stopping her own prayer to criticize him. ”Where is your amulet, Vèti? Were you in such a rush that you forgot it?” The woman’s voice spoke with some fondness and a smile curled on Vèti’s face when he heard her . 

”Madame Rosa, you don't have to worry about me like a child, ” Vèti said pulling out the sun necklace out from his shirt, ”this still seems so trivial to me, blaming the darkness on a woman that has done nothing but guide us.”

Madame Rosa was also a tiefling, one that had gone through the hate of the community and had found sanctuary in the Olki manor. She served as mother figure to Vèti and would come to check up on him every once in the while when the guards would run through. She nodded reluctantly leaning onto him to bring him down into a kneeling position. 

"Hush child, Reverend Lagow will want to speak to you later if he hears you," she said. Vèti huffed as he bowed his head, trying to block out the muttering prayers around him. 

Inhabitants of Redmont were forced to stand by the lit towers for extended periods of time with their heads bowed in prayer to the Sun god, Lumphear, to cast the darkness away, but there was never an answer. Vèti shook his head at the thought, earrings and other adornments on his horns clinking as he did. “They could have sent a group out months ago to have this resolved but instead they sit here and pray for a completely peaceful god to stop her evil rein?” He thought, biting his lip.

“Nothing with come from this,” he whispered to Madame Rosa, before going silent as she cursed him. 

Soon enough, the bell rang again and the torches around the tower slowly faded out, prompting the people to stand up and walk away from the scene. Vèti stood, bringing Madame Rosa up with him, hood falling back and revealing his face in the process. With a yelp, Rosa rushed to pull the hood back over his head. 

The action was a bit more difficult than anticipated for her, not realizing how much the boy had grown since he was 10. The stitching of the cloak caught onto his spiraling ram-like horns and with Rosa’s scramble to not anger the nearby elders, the fabric tore like paper. 

Vèti brought his hand up and clasped her’s, bringing the two torn pieces together and casting a quick spell. A white thread curved through the two lengths of fabric and as let go of his hand, it melded into the material.

Vèti lowered his hand, still holding Madame Rosa. ”Dinner tonight Madame?” he asked, as they began to leave with the vanishing crowd.

”Will you send me a message asking later?” She said quietly as he scanned the faces of people who had turned in their direction. Vèti nodded, pushing a few curly locks of hair that had fallen in his face behind his ear.

”Whatever you may require my lady, ” he said quietly, leaning down and pressing a kiss on her cheek and the back of her hand, before leaving her to make his way back to the manor.

He made his way up through the streets, seeing the many food vendors and other shops opening up again as their keepers came back and hung up their dark cloaks. Children who were forced to keep quiet during the mass ran past him, his cloak billowing from their speed. Vèti pulled down his hood. Thick black curls spilled out, barely able to stay contained along with his large horns. 

His brisk walk turned to a stroll as he walked through the streets, looking around at anything to try and see if anything had changed since he last came out. He had stayed in for the last week or so, keeping up on his studies to distract him the outside world for a couple of days. 

It wasn't too dark, the clouds overhead weren't letting out any rain at the moment and steam coming from vents in houses was enough to keep him warm with the thin cloak this early into autumn. 

As he turned onto the next street, it seemed fairly empty besides the handful of people moving in the same direction as him. They paid him no mind and he did the same for all except one. Walking towards him, a figure still wearing their cloak with the hood up made their way towards him in a quickened pace. They even made an effort to move out of the way of others to make sure they matched with Vèti.

Detecting a possible threat, Vèti held his right hand across to his left side, prepping a spell under his breath. Nothing hostile, only protection.   
They veered off suddenly, making contact with Vèti’s shoulder and pushing an envelope into his hand with a gloved hand. 

Quickly shoving it into his pocket he turned to yell at the figure, but they had vanished from his sight. He scanned the faces of citizens and it seemed as if no one around had noticed the transaction. 

Sucking air between his teeth with a scowl, Vèti turned his head and continued his way back to the manor, beginning to run when he saw the courtyard come into view.


	2. Time to Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯

Vèti slammed the door behind him, fishing the envelope out of the cloak, as he threw the coat onto one of the couches, immediately moving towards the study. He strode to the desk where he last sat before lifting his hand up and muttering some words under his breath before a translucent hand appeared up near the tops of the windows. 

With a swift movement, the hand pulled the bunched up curtains from one side to the other. Lifting his hand up to the so his palm could be shown in the faint sunlight that peeked through the clouds, faint arcane symbols and curling scars on his arm the illuminated with a bright light as the faint clanking sound of the overhead shudders covering the glass ceiling.

As the room became blanketed in darkness, Vèti panted, a faint trickle of sweat coming down the side of his face. The glyphs on his arms continued to pulse with some energy and give off a faint light as he thrust the palm of his hand into the center of the desk. Almost immediately, the doors to the study shut with tremendous force as glyphs on the desk illuminated, trailing off of it and onto the ground, trailing to the sides of the room before completing a circle where the desk was. 

Heaving, Vèti fell into the chair, face up to the ceiling as the crunching and grinding of gears underneath him rumbled to life and the area around him began to lower in a spiral motion. He squeezed his eyes shut as he went, holding his arm in pain as it throbbed in pain. "I'm still not strong enough, Father. Why did they choose now?" 

The floor continued to lower before a layer of flooring went over his head. Knowing the descent would continue on for more than a while, Vèti tried to gather his breath and thoughts for a moment before trying to heal the wound. His voice cracked as he started, but he righted himself and cleared his throat. 

The song started out as a hymn, a song that a woman would sing to a crying child. He let his voice as he neared the end of the descent, letting his voice begin to echo through the chambers. a luminous blue light curled around his harm and a wave of relief washed over him. The symbols faded as the light disappeared and the area finally reached the bottom, revealing a maze of more bookcases that went up to different floors and the desk that in the middle of it all. 

With the pain diminishing, Vèti stood up from the chair and made his way to the other desk, one that was clear of any dust and piled with books and papers that Vèti was going through. He rounded it, not even sitting on the chair before pulling out the letter and setting it on the table. 

He stared at it for a moment try to grasp the details before sitting down with a sigh and pulling out a copper wire from one the desk drawers. He picked up the envelope, giving it one last look over before tearing it open as carefully as he could.

Two papers came out, one much younger than the other. He looked at the both before setting down the older and unraveling the younger. It’s text in Infernal read,

Dear Vèti Olki of Redmont,

Your presence in the Mountains of Iliron is requested. Your late father, Francis Olki, made a deal with our organization that will need to be spoken of. This will be our change to liberate this city of its evils and have its lights shine high and bright again, with the banishment of any god or religious practice. Included is the letter your father wrote when he swore allegiance to us. If you are to join our work, find us in the northern mountains near Chessrown. If you don’t agree with our mission, then burn this letter. Your response will be recorded.

Sincerely,

The Aurora.

Stared down at the letter, reading it over again, trying to see if he missed any details. Vèti rubbed his face with a groan, scratching his head worriedly as he leaned back in his chair. 

He had never heard of the Aurora before, but whatever they had been doing was most likely illegal. Everything in that letter along with the letter itself was illegal. All letters have to go through the postal system where they are screened and read. You can’t just hand-deliver a letter. 

Vèti pushed the letter off to the side and picked up the older. As he opened it, his family crest was the first thing he saw. A golden wreath of branches and a shield with the image of a bear emblazed on it. It simmered in the light and immediately caught his eye. There was no disputing the credibility. "You really did this, didn't you?" He said to himself, beginning to read the letter.

My Virtue,

It seems like the laws coming into place are getting out of hand or the light seems dimmer and dimmer by the day. The thought of me not being over your shoulder while you read this saddens me dearly as I write this. If it is so, I’m sorry for bringing you this grieve and hindering the project we were working on at the time. The entire library is at your disposal and I know that any choice you make would be the same as mine. The reason I write this is because of a deal I made when you were young. It was a small group of vigilantes who wanted to go back to the old ways of life and I offered my magical services to them if they needed so. By now, they have, with no doubt, expanded immensely with people stronger than I could have ever been. If this letter comes to you, I ask you to help them in place of me. The journey may be long, but the outcome of it will be sweeter than you could ever imagine. This is my only and last request to you, my son, and I hope that you can fulfill it gloriously.

I’ll always be here,

Francis Olki

 

”Huh, well that's just rich, ” Vèti said quietly, hand beginning to shake. He set the letter down carefully, bringing his hand up to rub his eyes. He didn't know that he was crying until now. He folded inward trying to calm himself down as he hunched over the desk, shoulders shaking.

Taking deep breaths as tears rolled down his face, Vèti tried to calm himself. ”Why not Milo? Why not Naomi? They already took the shop, why can't they take this?” He rambled to himself as sobs overtook him. 

Three months hadn't even passed yet and he was being accosted by this. He had already given up the shop to his sibling under their command with much hesitation and now this letter was back to torment him. Everything about the letter was credible, but why would he do it? Because it was his fathers wish? Not every wish could come true. 

Tears still clouding his vision, he stood up from the desk, trying to find something to distract himself. He grabbed the copper wire that he had pulled out before, wrapping it around his find as he brought it up to his mouth. With a shaky breath, he spoke to the wire softly. "Raylanos, I need to speak with you and Madame Rosa tonight, may you tell her about my request?"

He held the cord close to his chest, breathing deeply as he waited for a response. For a minute, he thought that the connection hadn't linked correctly. He sighed and continued on, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard Raylanos's booming voice in his ears. "Of course, we will head your way soon enough."

With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his eyes and continued on into the maze of bookcases.


End file.
